Close To You
by JustArisu
Summary: Troy's always been her best friend. Sure there are those moments when the room is completely filled with tension and it seems like he's going to kiss her. But that happens to everyone right? Gabriella finally admits that all she wants is to be close to hi


Disclaimer: I obviously don't own High School Musical…

Laughter floated down the street, causing heads to turn towards the source of the musical sound. The sight that greeted the curious eyes surprised smiles onto faces. A slender girl was sitting on a grassy hill, completely oblivious to all of the people looking at her.

"Gabrieellllaaaaa! I can't believe you're laughing at me."

Gabriella Montez covered her mouth with a hand, trying to hide her laughter. She was miserably unsuccessful, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably even as her warm brown eyes danced with mirth. She bit her lip and gasped out between laughs, "I'm sorry. It's just too funny."

The boy in front of her looked down at himself and sighed. He looked back up at his best friend who was pristinely clean. He was sitting a mere two feet away from her and yet he was completely covered with feathers and there were three birds currently perched on his arms. He shook his head slightly and smiled wryly, seeing the funny side to the situation. That didn't prevent him, however, from rolling his eyes and throwing his arms up when yet another bird landed on him. He looked down and muttered irritably, "God damn birds. Why does this always happen?"

He shot a mock glare at Gabriella who had burst out laughing yet again. Then he leaned back, propping his body up with his hands, and just watched her laugh, the charming sight bringing a genuine smile to his face.

He averted his gaze quickly when she glanced at him, briskly brushing at the feathers on his clothes. He groaned slightly when the feathers didn't seem to want to come off. He looked up in surprise when delicate hands joined his, moving quickly over his shirt. Gabriella shot him a teasing smile and said, "Geez Troy. You're absolutely useless."

Troy Bolton smiled wickedly and asked, "Oh yeah Montez? Care to repeat that?"

Gabriella, who was still brushing at his shirt, didn't notice his smile and replied, in the same laughing tone, "You're absolutely usele—"

She shrieked suddenly when Troy poked her stomach. She shot a glare at Troy, who merely stuck his tongue out, causing her to laugh and move towards him, "Alright Troy. You're just asking for it now."

Troy tilted his head and asked, "Is that so? Have you forgotten that you're ticklish?"

He watched uneasily as a smile spread across Gabriella's face. He knew that angelic smile meant trouble. It became obvious he was right when she said sweetly, still smiling, "No Troy. But you seem to have forgotten that you are as well!"

Troy's eyes widened as she pounced on him and began tickling him. Even though he was turning in an attempt to avoid her fingers, he managed to find her sides and tickle her as well. Bursts of laughter filled the air as they rolled around on the hill, each trying to tickle while avoiding being tickled.

The battle was on.

_Why do birds suddenly appear  
__Every time you are near?  
__Just like me  
__They long to be  
__Close to you_

"Mi hija! Troy is here."

Gabriella paused in the middle of applying mascara, casting a glance towards the clock. She groaned when she saw it was already six o'clock. Not even bothering to run out she continued applying mascara and called out, "Mamiiii! I'm not ready yet. Tell him to go away and come back in like… half an hour!"

"Gabi we're going to be late for the reservation. We have to go now. You knew I was coming at six. You should have started earlier. Besides, you already look absolutely gorgeous so why are you even bothering with makeup. Let's just go okay?"

Gabriella gasped and spun around, groaning when she realized she'd just drawn a streak of mascara across her cheek. She glared at Troy, who was leaning against the frame of her door, an amused smile on his face. "Troooyyyyy! Who let you in here? Look what you made me do! Besides," she added sarcastically, "do you mean that I should go out of the house with mascara on only one eye?"

Troy laughed softly and walked over to her, saying simply, "Your mother let me up here. Since when have I been barred from your room?"

Then he schooled his features into a completely innocent look that he ruined by saying teasingly, "And yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting. I hear the mascara-on-one-eye look is all the rage now."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and turned her back on him, not even deigning to answer him. She grabbed a cotton swab and poured some makeup remover on it. She was about to lift it to her face when a hand reached out and grabbed it. Troy grinned down at her and said teasingly, "I think you should leave it like that! You look much better."

Gabriella turned towards him and hit his shoulder. Then she reached out to grab the cotton swab only to have it pulled out of her reach. She put one hand on his shoulder and lifted herself onto the tips of her toes but still couldn't reach it. She pouted and whined, "Troooyyyyy. Stop it. Do you want to leave or not?"

Troy smiled and took a step closer to her until they were almost touching, bringing his hand down and gently wiping the mascara off her cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. They both froze there, with his hand on her cheek and her hand still resting on her shoulder. Troy opened his mouth and was about to say something when Isabella's voice drifted up to them, causing them to jump apart as if they'd been shot. "You kids leaving yet?"

Gabriella turned back to the mirror, her cheeks stained a bright red. Troy cleared his throat and replied, slightly shakily, "Yeah. We'll be right down."

Gabriella applied the rest of her makeup with unsteady hands and looked at Troy, a slight frown on her face. Troy shot her a friendly smile and bowed extravagantly, "Shall we, Miss Montez?"

Gabriella laughed as he stood up and offered his arm. The tension in the room successfully dispelled, she curtsied deeply and replied, "I would love to, Mr. Bolton."

-o-

The two teenagers were strolling leisurely down the sidewalk, the only two people in sight. They were walking right next to each other, unconsciously matching their strides. When her hand brushed against Troy's hand, Gabriella slipped it into Troy's. Even though she normally believed that only couples should hold hands, she had always felt surprisingly comfortable holding Troy's hand. It made her feel safer, somehow.

"So what do you want to do next, Gabi?"

Gabriella laughed, looking up at him with her eyes sparkling. "What, going to dinner and the movies not enough for you?"

Troy rolled his eyes and then smiled sweetly, "Oh. That's right. I forgot that the freaky math girl has to go to sleep early on Sunday nights. Can't have the valedictorian being late for school, now can we?"

Gabriella scrunched her nose at him and pulled her hand out of his and shoved him lightly. "Psh. More like the basketball star needs his beauty sleep. I mean honestly Troy. I know _you_ don't have to look at yourself but you should have more pity on people like me who have to see you constantly."

Troy smiled smugly and replied, "Then why do you always want to hang out with me?"

"Please! You're the one who's always calling me!"

"Alright Gabi. You caught me. I constantly want to hang out with you. Which is why we're not going to go home yet!"

Gabriella raised an eyebrow and replied, "Oh yeah? What if I want to go home now?"

Gabriella laughed helplessly when Troy lunged towards her and scooped her up in his arms easily, "I don't think you have a choice Miss Montez!"

She smiled at him and merely put her hands around his neck, not even asking where they were going. She already knew. Her guess was confirmed when Troy deposited her gently onto the large swing in his backyard, plopping down right next to her.

He laid his arm across the back of the swing, like he always did. Gabriella smiled and moved closer to him, leaning against him. They sat like that in companionable silence, both completely content. Suddenly a star streaked across the sky, causing Gabriella to squeal excitedly and point, "Look Troy!"

Troy grinned at her reaction, having seen the star at the same time she had. He was about to tell her to make a wish when two more stars lit the sky. He frowned and said, "Huh. I didn't know there was supposed to be a meteor shower tonight."

Gabriella shrugged and replied, "There isn't. At least there wasn't any mention on the news."

Then she turned her attention back to the stars that were still streaking across the sky, her eyes shining with wonder. Troy smiled and asked quietly, "Aren't you going to make a wish?"

Gabriella turned and looked up at him, her eyes still shining. His breath caught as he looked down at her, mesmerized by her eyes. He was bending down slowly when the soft tones of Breaking Free pierced the silence. Gabriella gasped and pulled away from him, answering her phone. Troy shifted awkwardly and extracted his arms from behind her.

Gabriella closed the phone and looked at him nervously, "Uhmm… yeah. That was my mom. I have to go."

Troy smiled uncomfortably and replied, "Oh. Uhmm… alright then."

"Oh. Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

Gabriella got up off the swing and started walking away. Troy rolled his eyes and shot out of his seat, grabbing her hand, "Hey Gabi. Who are you kidding? Since when have I let you walk home by yourself?"

Gabriella smiled up and him and replied lightly, "You know Troy… I have you eating out of the palm of my hand."

Troy gasped indignantly at that comment, "Hey. I resent that! You do not. I merely…"

Gabriella smiled sweetly and asked, "Yes Troy? You merely what?"

Troy searched around for an explanation and sighed, "Alright… Maybe you do. But hey. What can I say? My mother taught me to be a gentleman."

Gabriella grinned at that and shot back, unable to resist, "Gentleman??"

Troy glared at her and dropped her hand, turning back towards his house, "Heyyyy. That's it Montez. You're walking home by yourself!"

Gabriella stopped as well and let her eyes fill with tears as she said pathetically, "But Trooyyyyyy…"

Troy sighed as he turned around and took her hand once again, "Dammit Gabi. I hate it when you use that voice. And when you give me the puppy eyes."

Gabriella smiled smugly and replied blithely, "See. That's what I told you. Eating out of the palm of my hand."

_Why do stars  
__Fall down from the sky  
__Every time you walk by?  
__Just like me  
__They long to be  
__Close to you_

Gabriella sighed, opening her locker and pulling out the books she had stored earlier. Being in all advanced classes was definitely a disadvantage when it came to the required textbooks. Each of her classes required a heavy textbook.

"Gabi!"

The pretty brunette spun around, her skirt swirling around her slender legs. She smiled brightly when she saw Troy making his way to her locker, surprisingly without Chad in tow. Her smile faded into a look of confusion, "Where's Chad?"

Troy clutched his heart, feigning hurt, "Ouch. What kind of greeting is that? You only care about Chad?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and shoved him, "Stop being silly Troy. I'm just surprised that Chad isn't here. Come to think of it Taylor isn't here yet either."

She frowned slightly, pondering the curious fact that Taylor wasn't meeting them for their usual study session. Troy grinned, finding her completely adorable when she was so confused, "Is it really that hard to figure out, Miss Valedictorian?"

Gabriella's eyes widened and she gasped, "No way! Taylor would have told me!!"

Troy stifled his laughter and replied innocently, "Oh. She told me to tell you. Errr… sort of that is. I think she was a _little_ distracted by her new boyfriend."

Gabriella's jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered, "Well… I can't say I didn't see it coming. I'm kind of surprised that Chad asked her out though. I thought he would take so long that Taylor would just ask him instead!"

Troy laughed and shrugged, "Eh. I guess Chad finally got up to courage to ask her."

Gabriella smiled and nodded, "Yeah I guess so. So are you ready to go then?"

Troy looked up at the ceiling and asked in a tragic voice, "What did I do to deserve a best friend who insists on doing homework every day right after school before she'll go hang out?"

Gabriella giggled and replied, "You know you love me, Bolton."

"Psh. In your dreams, Montez."

She smiled when he reached over and grabbed the textbooks out of her hands, holding them effortlessly with one arm. She had long since given up protesting when he took her textbooks. Instead she merely grabbed his free hand and swung it back and forth with each step.

-o-

Troy put down his pencil and pouted, shoving his chair back from the table. He turned pleading eyes towards Gabriella and begged, "Let's do something else now. My brains are turning to mush. I can't stand anymore of this thing you call studying."

Gabriella laughed and pursed her lips thoughtfully. She raised an eyebrow when she heard giggles at the table to their right. Glancing at the table she noticed there were four girls with their chairs arranged as close to Troy as possible. She giggled and asked angelically, "Would you rather go talk to those girls instead?"

Troy turned his head to the right and groaned when he saw the girls giggle and nudge each other. "He was looking at me!"

"Are you kidding me?? He was _totally_ looking at me. Didn't you see the connection?"

"Oh my god he is such a hottie. His eyes are so blue!"

"I know!! And his hair. Look at how pretty and gold it is where the sun hits it?"

Troy rolled his eyes, saying, "Kill me now!"

Gabriella nudged him lightly, asking, "Aren't you being just a little too dramatic?" She paused then added, unable to resist, "Hottie with the blue eyes and gold hair."

Troy pouted and nudged Gabriella back, "Hey. It's not nice to make fun of your best friend! I mean it's not my fault girls follow me everywhere. God." Then he smirked and said loftily, "Though I can't really blame them. I mean… I am pretty irresistible!"

Gabriella made a noise of disgust and repeated the phrase he had directed at her earlier that day, "In your dreams, Bolton."

Troy laughed and threw a friendly arm around her shoulders, ignoring the angry hisses coming from the table next to them. "That's why I keep you around Montez. You make me laugh."

Gabriella smiled, unable to pretend to be insulting, though she still said teasingly, "More like you need me to keep your ego in check."

Troy grinned down at her and shrugged slightly, "What can I say? Guilty as charged."

She tried to hide her smile as she reached for her drink, but completely failed. Suddenly she looked up, her eyes darting to the speakers. "Hey. It's Close To You!" She eyed Troy speculatively and continued, "You know… this song has always reminded me of you. Today more than ever though."

She smiled and began to sing along softly, causing Troy to smile. No matter how many times he heard her sing he never failed to be amazed.

_On the day that you were born  
__The angels got together and decided  
__To create a dream come true_

She shot a slanting glance at Troy and smirked slightly before she sang the next four lines. Troy laughed helplessly when he heard the lyrics, understanding why she said the song reminded her of him.

_So they sprinkled moondust in your hair  
__Of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue  
__That is why all the girls in town  
__Follow you all around_

Troy frowned when her voice faltered slightly before she appeared to steel herself and continue. His eyes widened as he suddenly remembered the lyrics that came next.

_Just like me  
__They long to be  
__Close to you_

_Just like me  
__They long to be  
__Close… to… you…_

As her voice trailed off Troy continued staring at her, a shocked expression on his face. Gabriella blushed and started talking quickly, "It's not what it sounds like Troy. I mean… I just… I…"

She trailed off, frowned slightly and then squared her shoulders. "You know what Troy? It's exactly what it sounds like. And I do mean it. I wasn't going to say anything because I was afraid that it was going to ruin our friendship. But it's not like I can do anything about it now."

"Gabi…"

Gabriella completely ignored Troy, "I've wanted to tell you for a really long time, actually. Practically since the championship game. And now I finally have. Granted it was an accident… But still. You know what Troy? Even if you don't want to be my friend anymore at least I told you."

Troy tried to interrupt again, this time speaking a little louder, "Gabi…"

Once again Gabriella ignored him and kept rambling. "I mean sure… I'm going to miss you a lot. I mean, you're my best friend for God's sake. But honestly it'll be better now. It's been getting really stressful hiding the fact that I like…"

"GABRIELLA! Would you please just shut up! I mean, honestly! Let a guy get a word in, would you?"

Gabriella looked at him, her eyes narrowed with anger. "If you think you can talk to me like that, you've got something coming, Troy Bolton."

Troy sighed and said quietly, "Gabi. I like you too."

Gabriella barely heard him, merely continuing her rant. "Even if you are no longer my best friend, Troy Bolton, you have no right to talk to me like that. You should at least have some proper respect. Wait… what? Say that again?"

Troy laughed and grabbed her hand, repeating softly, "Gabriella Montez, I like you too."

He grinned when a brilliant smile lit up her whole face and she flung her arms around his neck, laughing, "Gods, Troy. I'm so sorry. You know how I get when I'm nervous or mad. I just can't seem to stop talk…"

She stopped when Troy placed a finger on her lips. "Gabi? You're doing it again."

Gabriella laughed and opened her mouth again, causing Troy to roll his eyes and place his lips over hers instead. She smiled against his lips and sang softly, "Just like me, they long to be close to you."

-o-

Well what do you think? The ending wasn't QUITE what I wanted. But yeah… I just wanted to get this posted. I might end up going back and fixing it after HSM2 is out! D Please review! I'm thinking of starting a HSM story that isn't just a one-shot. But I wanted to finish this one first. Have you guys heard the HSM2 songs? I loveeee them. Haha been listening to them nonstop since Saturday night.

I'm annoyed because my dividers on't work. pout i'll ahve to figure soemthing out


End file.
